By Nathan Jackson
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is leading a charge of merry CEOs to Washington DC, mocha in hand, to say to our elected leaders, “Hey Congress! Cut more social services and give us rich guys more money.”

They have a more subtle way of saying it, but that’s the primary message of the so called "Fix the Debt" organization, whose backers include Schultz, Chase Bank CEO Jamie Dimon, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, and many other 1% CEOs.

Speaking of messages, in Washington DC Schultz actually made Starbucks baristas advocate for the “give the rich lower tax rates, cut every other social spending” message on customers’ cups--while they were working. These workers had to write a slogan that is in opposition to their own interests--by executive order from the CEO.

Here’s a few ideas to get your mouth watering, but feel free to come up with your own. Our elected officials’ priorities should be: full employment, good jobs that pay living wages, the rich paying their fair share, and investing in quality education and healthcare.

We’ve tried the “tax breaks for the wealthy” double espresso before, and it didn’t lead to economic growth or good jobs. It led to the biggest recession since the Great Depression and a bitter taste in our mouths.

Starbucks is from here. It is one of the companies that people identify with Washington State. If their CEO wants to start advocating in the political sphere it should follow our shared community values--good jobs, quality healthcare, quality education and a tax system that makes the rich pay their fair share.

About Working Washington: Our mission is to build a powerful workers’ movement that can not only dramatically improve wages and working conditions, but can also change the local and national conversation about wealth, inequality, and the value of work. More info…

Our mission is to build a powerful workers’ movement that can not only dramatically improve wages and working conditions, but can also change the local and national conversation about wealth, inequality, and the value of work.

Working Washington fast food strikers sparked the fight that won Seattle's landmark $15 minimum wage. We drove Amazon to sever ties with right-wing lobby group ALEC and improve conditions in their sweatshop warehouses. And we helped lead the winning campaign in SeaTac for a $15 living wage.